Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus



epfio g, 3924.

A. AMmT HAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS 2 Sheata-Sheat 1 Filed Aug. 26. 1921 S@pt. 9, 1924. A. AMIOT MAIL BAG CATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26. 192] 2 Sheeis-ShMJLZ 51 nventoz Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

' AUSTIN AMIOT, OF STOCKTON, OHIO.

MAI BAG GATCHI1\TG .A1\TD DELIVERING APPARATUS Application filed August 126, 132 1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN AMro'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, havinginvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Apparatus, do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same. a

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail bag catching and delivering apparatus, and has for its object to provide an improved mechanism whereby mail bags may beexchanged between rapidly moving railway trains and mail stations along the road. a

A further object of the invention resides in providing an improved device which is a combination catching and delivering apparatus, the catching and delivering portions being capable of use individually or simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which when carried on the train may be moved to a positionwithin the car to utilize a mini- 1 mum amount. of space therein,

Still another ob ect of the invention is to provide a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpenslve to manufacture and one which Wlll be very eflicient and useful in operation.

IVith these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing 7, my improved device applied to use on a mail car set for position to receive a bag therein; 7

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation showing the device set up for operation on a car and in position to receive a bag, the dotted lines illustrating the position of the parts when delivering a bag;

Figure 3 is a similar view looking from within the car when the apparatus is partially folded back therewithin;

Serial No. 495,500. I

Figure 4: is a similar view looking from the rear" of the apparatus when the latter is partially folded within the car; and

Figure 5 is a detail sectionthrough the safety catch used on the catching apparatus. In describing the invention I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, and in which Idesignates a railway baggage car or'mail car providedwith the usual doorway 2, and secured to the inner wall of the car adjacent one side of the doorway are the pintles' 3- upon which are pivoted the straps 4,.said straps being pivoted at their outer ends toa vertical angle bar 5. This bar 5 is braced with respect to the straps 4 by means of the bracing bar 6, the latter having also hinged connection with said angle bar 5, and extending outwardly from the upper and lower ends of said vertical bar 5 are the arms 7 which may be formed of channel or angle metal.

The ends of the arms 7 are bifurcated, and pivoted between the bifurcations are the additional arm sections 8, The pivots of the arms 8 have spring connection whereby under normal conditions these arms are forced upwardly and downwardly respectively to a vertical position with respect to the arms 7, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Pivotally engaged with the outer ends of the arms 8 are the bag supporting members 9 which swing on an axis atv right angles with the axis of the arms 8. The members 9 are notched, as shown at 10, to removably receive therein straps 11 of a mailbag 12. The proper position of the arms 8 and the supporting members 9 is clearly illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, holding a .bag in position to be delivered from a moving train. In this position, the arms 8 are horizontally disposed and as soon as the bag is removed therefrom the said arms 8 will be returned I thereof are the straps 14 which obviously limit the movement of the arms 8 in their upward positions and retain-the same in vertical position when a bag is not held therewithin.

From the description of the invention hereabove given, it will be seen that the complete framework constituting this delivering apparatus may be swung inwardly within the car to a position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and if desired, folded flat against the inner wall of the car through the medium of the hinge connection between the straps 1 and the vertical bar 5. VJhen the apparatus is within the car, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the mail bag may be readily connected between the arms 8 and then the device disposed to its outward posi tion, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

The catching apparatus comprises an angle bar 15 which extends outwardly from the vertical bar 5 and an additional arm 15 which extends outwardly from the bar 5 at an angle, thereby forming an auxiliary frame. The ends of the bars or arms 15 and 15 are connected by a rod 15, upon which is pivoted the catching member 16. This member 16 comprises a section on one side of its pivot which may be known as a receiving portion, and is dsignated in the drawings as an arm 17. The arm 17 is somewhat V- shaped, the loop therein forming the direct receiving portion and the outer arm thereof acting as a directing means for the bag to the receiving portion of this arm. The outer portion of the arm 17 is designated in the drawings as 18 and represents the directing means for the bag to a loop or the like 19 which constitutes the receiving end of this member. In order to retain this member 16 in proper position and prevent the same from swinging entirely on its pivot, an arm 20 is provided 011 the opposite side of the pivot of the member 16 which has an offset portion '21 therein adapted to receive in engagement therewith the arm 15 Thus when this catching apparatus is disposed to a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the receiving portion thereof will be disposed in proper position and the member 16 held against complete pivotal movement on its axis by the engagement of the offset 21 with the bar 15.

In the operation of the device, the train moves toward a mail station with the catch i-ng apparatus disposed to a position, as shown in Figure 1, and as the outwardly directed portion 18 of the member 16 comes in contact with the mail bag, the latter is disengaged from its holding device at the station and directed inwardly with respect to the train to be received within the bent or looped portion 19 of said arm or member 16. In order to retain the bag in the receiving portion 19 of this member, 1 provide a pivoted locking member 22 which is somewhat V-shaped to receive the central portion of the bag and swing upon its pivot as said bag is received in the arms thereof, thus retaining the same within the portion 19. A spring safety catch 23 is provided in the arm 18 to co-operate with this locking member 22 whereby to prevent the casual displacement of said locking member after the same has received the bag therein. This safety catch consists of a stud, the outer end of which is beveled, as shown at 24, said stud operating through an opening in the arm 18. The opening in the arm 18 is en larged from one side, as shown at 25, and a head 26 is provided on the stud. A coil spring27 is carried in the opening 25 to abut the head26 and a set screw 28 closes the opening 25 and affords a means whereby said spring may be compressed against the head of the stud to retain the latter in yielding position. When the mail bag is received in the V-shaped member 22, the latter swings on its pivot 17, the arms thereof riding over the beveled face of the stud and becoming secured therebeyond from casual displacement.

l/Vhen the mail bag has been received by thecatching member, the complete apparatus may be swung inwardly from the car and the bag removed. When the device is set up for operation as a delivering apparatus, the catching arm or member 16 is preferably disposed to vertical position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, but it will be understood that the device can be simultaneously operat'ed as a catching and a delivering appa ratus so that this catching arm could be dis posed to a horizontal position at the same time the bag is supported between the meinhere 9. t v

From the foregoing description of my improved device, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention, 11d while I have described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a support, a frame hinged thereto, supporting arms pivoted to the upper and lower portions of said frame and adapted to support a bag therebetween, an auxiliary frame on the first mentioned frame intermediate the aforesaid arms, a rod supported between the free ends of said auxiliary frame, a catching and receiving arm pivoted on said rod and adapted to be disposed into a horizontal catching position, and means associated with said arm for engagement with a portion of the auxiliary frame for limiting the pivotal movement of said arm in one direction,

5 bag therebetween,

2. In a device of the class described, a support, a frame hinged thereto, supporting arms pivoted to the upper and lower portions of said frame and adapted to support a an auxiliary frame substantially V-shaped supported on the first mentioned frame, a rod secured across the auxiliary frame at its free ends, a catching and receiving arm pivoted on said rod and adapted to be disposed in a horizontal position, a rearwardly extending arm adjacent to and integral with the ceiving arm provided with a U-shaped portion intermediate the juncture and free end thereof to engage the auxiliary frame,

thereby limiting the movement of the arm in one direction.

AUSTIN AMIOT.

catching and re p 

